Ax



Aug. 12 1924, 1,504,644

J. E. RAYBURN Filed Oct. 14. 1922 gwuentoz Jil-Rayburn ttaznm l Patented Aug. 12,1924.

UNIE

TES

JaMEs n. aarsuan, or waYNnsBoao, TENNESSEE, Assicnoa or ONE-HALF To CLAUDE L. BOYD, or WAYNEsBoRo, 'iiilrltESsan.Y

Application filed October 14, 1922. Serial No. 594,539,

To all whom t may concern Be .it known that I, JAMES E. RAYBURN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at lVaynesboro, in the county of Vayne and State ofTennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AXes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactA description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled iii the art to which it ap.- pertains to make and use the-same.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in,k

axes, having .for anobjecty to provide a combination broad and chopping ax which will be especially advantageous for use by.y woodmen in the hewing of logs during the n'iaking of squared' timbers, such as cross ties and the like, where it /is necessary that relatively right aiigularly disposed flat faces be formed thereon, that side of the broad` ax blade vof the tool nearest the timber being so Ashaped as to permit of the liewingof a log without liabilityY of splintering or irregularly facing the saine, while the opposite face of such bladelias the so-termedfchip ridgeV formed in a manner toV cause positive and' rapid removal of turning of the chips from the timber.

Another and equallyimportant object of the invention is to provide a tool ofv the character mentioned embodying in a single` construction, the several aXes, name-ly, chop*-V ping and broad aXes required bya workman when hewing timber, thus dispensing with the need of separate tools and likewise, erfmitting of immediate selective use .of eit ier.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter;

In order that the invention andits mode of operation may be readily understood by persons skilled in the art, I have in the accompanying illustrative drawings, and in the detailed following description based thereon, set out one possible embodiment of the same.

In these drawings:

` Figure 1 is a plan view showing one side of the improved combination aX, that is, that side or face bearing the chip ridge,

Figure 2 is an end view of the same;

Figure 8 is a plan view of the opposite side or face of the combination aX; and,

Figure 4 is an edge view of the broad ax or blade.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, in .connection with which like characters of reference will designate corresponding parts throughout, the improved tool may be statedto comprise a head 1 having the usual handle receiving opening formed therein. Upon one sideof this headlk 1, there is formed a chopping blade 2, while upon the opposite side, a broad blade Sis formed.v By this combining of the several aX blades in a single construction, it will be understoody that either ofthe same may be selectively used as desired by a workman The broad blade by reasonoffthe novel shaping or forming` of its several faces provides a desirable and. effectualv device for usein the hewing of timber. That side or face of the blade indicated by the numeral 5, whicliis the side nearest. the timber from which the chips are. being hewn has its medial portion slightly concave longitudiiially fromA the point Apadjacent the head 1` to the point B in proximity to the cutting` edge `of the blade,v as clearly shown, in the Figure 3, so that were a straightedge impleinent rested upon thesepoints A and B, the intermediate portion thereof would not contact with the corresponding portion of the side 5. VThereiiiaiiiderof the blade face is formed substantially flat as is usual in constructing tools of this-character.

Byieason ofthe concave. construction of the medial portion of the face 5 of the broad blade, that portion of the ax when in use will be prevented from working its way from the timber in such a manner as to render the forming of the fiat face upon the timber dicult. To the contrary, because of this concaving, the face 5 of the blade will be caused to move in a substantially parallellike course over the face ofthe timber being hewn, thus permitting the forming of the squared or perpendicular faces with the least i effort or labor. Likewise, by reason of the art as the chip ridge. This ridge, however,

is usually made in form of a sharp or acute extension which extends from the point indicated atC medially and longitudinally of the broad blade to the point indicated at D, whereupon the ridge is divided in the form shownV in the, Figure l and lextending in diagonal fashion to the points indicated by i the reference letters E Vand F, which as will be noted, arein proximity to the opposite extremitiesof the cuttingv edge of the blade. Instead of formingthis substantially wide cutting, ridge at a sharp or acute angle, I have found through experience that Ymore practical results are secured when the apex portions of the chip ridge7 are rounded, as for example, as shown' in the Figures l y and 2.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the advantages offered by the use of the comybined chopping and broad ax are obvious. However, it will sufficeto state that in the use of this combined tool, no appreciable time is lost in changing tools. In the proper hewing of timber or a log which is to be made into squared timbers, such as cross ties, et cetera,having substantially flat right angularly disposed faces, it is'first necessary to score. the timber. This is done by making shallow hacks or indentures with the chopping blade of the ax along the face to be hewn. VThe hacks are preferably made kat right angles to the grain of the wood.k

' The purpose of hacking the timber is to prevent the chips from splitting deeper into thewood than is desired, and to cause them to turn fromfthe woodV much more readily.

'It is practically impossible to score timber with a broadax and in consequence, expert woodmenuse the ordinary chopping ax forthis purposeQy Therefore, in the combination tool presented by my invention, both of the essential ax blades required in the hewing of`timber of the above character are always convenient to theworkmen and likewise, the expense of an additional or extra tool is avoided. combined tool Will be found highly desirable for use by woodmen when it is necessary to cut limbs, knots, sprouts, et cetera, since the use of a broad ax for this purpose is most detrimental, although to save time, woodnien frequently employ the same with the result that it is frequently broken because of its size and temper. In using the improved tool, it would be only necessary to reverse the positioning of the blades so that the chopping blade 2 could be used by the Woodman.

It is to be understood that the broad ax blade may be used alone, that is, without the chopping ax blade or similar form 4of blade. Thus, a user would be afforded the advan` tages of the improved broad ax blade forma tion in those cases Where the use of a chopping ax is not desired.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerable modification and such modification as is within the scope'of my claims, I consider within the spirit of vmy invention.

I claim:

l. VA tool of the character described comprising a head, a broad blade on the head, one side of said broad blade having a chip ridge formed thereon extending longitudinally of its medial portion from a point in proximity to said head to a point in proximity to the cutting edge of the blade wherevupon it is formed with divergent branches extending t0 points adjacent the opposite extremities of the cutting edge of said blade.

2. A tool of the character described coniprising a head, a broad blade formed upon one side of said head, one side of said broad blade having a chip ridge formed thereon, the apex portions of which are rounded, said chip ridge extending longitudinally of the medial portion of said opposite side of the broad blade from a point adjacent said head Y to a point in proximity to the cutting edge of said blade whereupon it is formed with divergent branches extending to points in proximity t0 the opposite extremities of the cutting edge of the blade.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES E. RAY'BURN.

Furthermore, the 

